Canceling-stamp



(No Model.) I B. BROWN.

' 'GANOELING STAMP.

110,295,729. i Patented Mar. 25 1884.

ENOCH B. BROWN, OF MYSTIC, CONNECTICUT.

CANCELlNG-STAMP SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 295,729,.dated March 2.5, 1884.

Application filed April 5, 1883. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ENocH B. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mystie, in the county of New London and State of 5 Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Canceling-Stamps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in devices known as postagestamp cancelers, and has for its object to provide such a device as shall be simple and economic in construction, whileat the same time its action on the stamp shall be positive; and with these ends in view my invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter fully described, and specifically designated by the claims. i

In order that those skilled in-the art to which my invention appertains may understand more fully the construction and operation of my improved canceler, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improvement, with the cylinder inclosing the canceling device sectioned; and Fig. 2, a detail sectional view of the mechanism for operating the canceling device. 7

Similar letters denote like ures of the drawings.

A is the handle of the ordinary hand-stamp pattern, and arranged to work up and down on a spindle, B. This spindle ward i'romthe bed 0 of the stamp, being secured thereto in any ordinary manner, or, if desired, cast integral therewith. WVithin the handle is placed a coil-spring, D, in such manner that the spindle B will come in contact with it when the handle is depressed, thereby giving to the latter a spring movement, all of which will hereinafter be fully explained. Attached to the handle proper at its lower portion is a ferrule, 13}, having a laterally-proparts in both figprojects upjecting lug, F, designed to travel in a slot, H, in a sleeve, G. This sleeve is secured in any ordinary way to the bed 0.

In assembling the parts of my improve-. ment, I drop the spring D withinthe handle, and secure the latter over the spindle B and within the sleeve G in such a manner that the lug F will be within the slot H.

K is an L-shaped lever, pivoted to the bed and operated by the lug F, the construction and operation of the several parts being such that when the handle A is depressed the lug F will travel downward and operate the arm K, after the manner of a bell-crank lever. At

the lower extremity of this arm is pivoted a scratcher, L, in such manner as to swing to and fro during the movement of the arm back and forth. The object of this construction is to apply the serrating-surface to the postage stamp in a horizontal plane, and thereby mutilate the said stamp uniformly, because the said scratcher, swinging in the arc of a circle would, if constructed integral with the arm K, make a scratch on the stamp deepest at its center, and thereby possibly tear the letter contained in the envelope to which the stamp is affixed. The arm is returned to its normal position by a spring, M. It is not necessary that the arm should manner as shown by the lug F, since the former may be extended within the sleeve G and connected with the handle in any ordinary way. The depth of the scratch on the postage-stamp may be regulated by the adjustment of the lever K or scratcher L by any well-known means.

My improved device may be used with equal advantage in canceling revenue-stamps, in which instance the postmark device will of course be dispensed with and the canceler proper be operated in substantially the same manner as hereinbefore set forth.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A stamp-canceler consisting of an L- shaped lever or arm pivoted to the bed-plate of the canceler, and

lower extremity a pivoted serrating piece or be operated in the exact having attache-d at its I scrateher, in combination with mechanism, serateher L, substantially as set forth and de- 10, substantially as described, for operating said scribed.

arm. In testimony whereof I affix my signature 2. The handle A, constructed as described, in presence of two witnesses. 5 .in combination with the ferrule E, having lug T i 7 T F, coil-spring D, bed-plate O, with sleeve G EIOOH and spindle B, and having slot H therein, and \Vitnesses: L- shaped arm K, pivoted to the bed-plate and W. T. I-IAVILAND,

having at its lower extremity the pivoted F. WV. SMITH, Jr. 

